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If you’re looking for Origami crafts this Christmas, you’ll love this Origami Stocking Craft for Kids – easy enough for beginners to try!

When I was a child, we had this custom of buying packs of Christmas cards and then writing down addresses on them and posting them in bulk. My parents did this, while I sat and admired the pictures on all the cards. My favorite one was the picture of a decorated Christmas tree next to a fireplace, near which some stockings were hanging.

That always intrigued me – why is hosiery so important during Christmas?

The Legend of the Christmas Stocking

There are many stories about how the tradition of the Christmas stocking came to be, but the most popular one features St. Nicholas. 

Saint Nicholas was staying a night with a poor family when he overheard the father talking about selling some of his children to save the family from starvation. St. Nicholas wanted to help, but the father wouldn’t accept it. 

So this is what he did; when everyone was sleeping, he went outside the house and threw in three bags of gold. The gold bags flew in through the window and landed in stockings that were hanging by the fire to dry. 

When the family woke up next morning, they were overjoyed – the family was saved! Since then, it’s been a tradition to hang stockings by the fireplace, so Santa can come in and put little gifts in them. 

Today we celebrate that tradition, with a cute little Origami stocking craft for kids to make! It’s an easy craft, and with step-by-step instructions and pictures, anyone can give it a go!

Easy Origami Stocking Craft for Kids

Supplies required:

• Craft paper
• Scissors
• Craft glue

How to make the Origami stocking craft:

1. Cut out a square of side 14 cm from craft paper of your choice. Stockings are generally red and white, but you can also try green.

2. Fold the square paper in half, vertically.

3. Unfold the last fold. You now have a central crease.

4. Make a 1 cm horizontal fold any of the sides perpendicular to the crease.

5. Turn the pattern to the other side.

6. Fold the right edge inward to meet the central crease.

7. Similarly, fold in the opposite side.

8. Now, fold (valley fold) the pattern in half, along the vertical middle crease, so you get a thin rectangle. 

9. Keeping the 1 cm fold on the bottom, fold the bottom third of the pattern inside.

10. Unfold the last fold. Now you have a short part with the 1cm fold and a long part. The base of your Origami stocking craft is ready!

11. Fold the long part along the crease from Step 9 at an angle of 45 degrees.

12. Unfold the last fold.

13. Keeping the part with 1 cm fold intact, carefully open the rest of the pattern (the 2/3 part).

14. Fold the pattern along the diagonal creases.

15. Flatten the pattern along the last diagonal folds.

16. Notice the yellow line in the image above.

17. Make a fold along the yellow line.

18. Fold the square part in half, along the middle crease.

19. Fold in the corners of the front side of the stocking. Now your Origami stocking craft is taking shape!

20. Cut out a white strip and glue it along the 1 cm fold to complete the origami stocking pattern.

Now that you’ve made one Origami stocking craft, you can go ahead and make a few more! These would look great strung on a banner, or decorating your doorways! If you like, you can add some mistletoe on the edge of the stocking, to give it a more festive appearance. Don’t forget to check out our Origami Christmas crafts list!